Two minutes
by avatarTingal
Summary: Originally this was a one-shot about the scene when Neytiri brought Jake to the Omatikaya. But more chapters are wished, so I'll write some more.Ch.1: What was Mo'at thinking, when Jake arrived ? It's the moment when his fade was decided
1. Chapter 1

Two minutes

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar or Pandora and I don't make any profit by writing this.**

Author's note :

Hey, thanks so much for the rewiews!

Ok, guys, you convinced me. I changed my opinion and will write some more chapters.

Sorry for the mistakes, this is my very first try to write a fanfic.

I fixed that problem with the quotation signs and corrected the failure concerning Sylwanin.

Thanks again for your help !

_Summary:_

_What was Mo'at thinking, when Jake arrived ? It's the moment when his fate was decided._

_This one-shot is about the scene when Neytiri brought Jake to the Omaticaya for the first time._

They told her that Neytiri had brought a dreamwalker with her –she maintained that there was a sign from Eywa. Mo'at wondered how that happened.

What demanded Eywa concerning a dreamwalker, a sky person? Anyway, she should have a look at him and went downstairs, into the den.

And she stepped directly into a little tumult. Some warriors were holding the dreamwalker, others furiosly shouting and Neytiri was snarling at him.

Mo'at looked at his face and and saw no awareness of guilt, just surprise and confusion. Obviously there happened a misunderstanding, no attack from the dreamwalker. She finished the turmoil with an authorative call, then she told the People that she's going to have a look on this alien, and walked straightly to the dreamwalker.

When she had a closer look at him, she was slightly surprised that he seemed to be somehow different from the other dreamwalkers she had seen before. His face was different – in contrast to the other dreamwalkers, he had the flat nose of a Na'vi, not that protruding, pointed noose the sky persons had, which appeared, slightly changed and flattened, on their dreamwalker bodies too. In spite of his human features - with somewhat bigger eyes and without the stripes of hair (she remembered Graceaugustine calling them brows) above them - the look of his face would have come very close to the look of a Na'vi face.

Though it had the height and the features of an adult, his body looked somehow _new, _with the sleek,soft skin of a young child. The sky people must have made it just lately. No signs of use, not like the ones at the dreamwalker body of Graceaugustine.

There was an innocence in this eyes, a childlike ignorance, and an hardly hiddened sadness too – like an orphaned lonely child, but otherwise, there was as well the strength and rigor of a hardened fighter. An innocent child inside a warrior. Strange. What happened to him?

A weak scent reached her nose._ "Manhood ?"_, she asked herself surprised. All the other dreamwalker bodies were sterile, looking adult though, but never emitting the scent of maturity.

She walked around him. The dreamwalker winced, when she examined his queue. It looked normally, but this was the case with any of the other dreamwalker's queues as well. All of them had fully functionally queues, they where just to foolish to use them.

Then she grasped his tail, lifting it, and to her surprise she saw the set of glands at the downside of his tail's base. They were still small, typical for a youth, but in two or three months, this dreamwalker would be a fully grown man.

What was the meaning of this ? Had the sky people learned how to produce bodies which were more similar to Na'vi bodies, or was this one just an accident?

"What are you called ?" she asked him.

"Jake Sully," he answered, quite self-conciously. Under different circumstances, Mo'at would have smiled about that somewhat puppylike way he looked at her.

She decided to taste his blood. Maybe there would be an answer.

He flinched when she stroke his chest with the thornlike knife which was part of the ornate of a Tsahik. His blood tasted nearly like the blood of a Na'vi, had just a very faint aftertaste of sky people.

Interesting. This dreamwalker puzzled her more and more. Why did Eywa sent the atokirinas to him? He even didn't seem to know who Eywa was._ "Ask him !"_, a voice inside her commanded.

"Why did you come to us ?" she asked him in a quite austere manner.

"I came to learn." The dreamwalker seemed to be even more intimidated now.

Mo'at decided to grill him out a bit more: "We have tried to teach other sky people. It is hard to fill a cup which is already full."

" My cup is empty, trust me. Just ask Dr. Augustine. I'm no scientist."

_"Yes. You really don't behave like the scientist dreamwalkers we saw before"_, she thought by herself, „_but what is the true reason for your being here?"_

"What are you ?", she pressed him again.

"I was a Marine – a warrior. Of the Jarhead clan."

So her impression was right. He was warrior – though a rather unusual one.

Behind her, Tsu'tey called out, disbelieving and annoyed: "A warrior! I could kill him easily!"

_"Yes, in his present state, you probably could do that in no time."_, Mo'at pondered,_ "But I could bet he would bring you in serious trouble, when this dreamwalker is used to this new body."_

Mo'at felt that she had to make a decision now, but she was still unsure what to do with him. A part of her wanted him to stay. Maybe there was a possibility to heal his twitched sky people mind. He seemed to have a good heart, a strong spirit and – the atokirinas came to him. And the compassionate part of herself told her to care for that abandoned sad child inside him.

There must have been a reason for all this. And she was curious about him, being so different from the other dreamwalkers.

But otherwise she sensed some kind of danger coming from him. That kind of danger an ignorant child could cause to others with it's clueless acts.

At the end Eytukan made the decision for her.

He countered Tsu'tey's challenge : " No! This is the first warrior dreamwalker we have seen. We need to learn about him."

So he would stay. "_Good_,"she thought by herself, "_but it would be of no use if we just watch him like an animal." _Mo'at wanted to see his abilities, his character and – first of all – the purpose of his attendance. And the best way to find this out was to teach him the ways of the Na'vi. It would be a n ordeal for the strength of his heart, as well for his mind and his body.

Suddenly there was another thought: Neytiri. Since the death of Sylwanin, her beloved sister, beautiful Sylwanin, who was so bright, so spirited, so amicable, brutally killed by the sky people, shot just before Neytiri's face, her younger daughter's heart was broken.

After Sylwanin's funeral, Neytiri withdrawed more and more from the clan and became reluctant to take part on the lessons she had to learn as future Tsahik instead of Sylwanin now. Mo'at was unconsolable about the loss of her older daughter, but Neytiri's heart seemed to be even more hurt, so that she was going to become a hardheartened, lonely hunter, caring for the People with supplies of meat, but not longer taking part in the social life of the clan. How could she ever become a Tsahik with that broken heart?

And then she brought this dreamwalker with her.

Teaching him could help her to come along, to get rid of her anger. Probably, in her rage about the sky people, she would beat the crap out of him, but the dreamwalker was strong. He would stand it. And, when she managed to get rid of her anger, Neytiri's soul maybe could be healed.

And so Mo'at made a decision of her own when she slowly strode at the side of her mate. After a short look to Eytukan, she went to her daughter.

" Daughter, you will teach him our way, to speak and to walk as we do."

Neytiri stared at Mo'at, at first incredulous, then enraged.

"Why me ?" she complained furiously, "That's not fair. I only..."

Mo'at refused any further discussing: " It is decided !"

Ignoring her daughter's anger, she turned to _Jakesully _andexplained to him in the language of the sky people: " My daughter will teach you our ways. Learn well, Jakesully. We will see if your insanity can be cured."

In her mind Mo'at added: "_And we will see if you can heal my daughter's heart as well."_


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar or Pandora and I don't make any profit by writing this.**

Autor's note: This time I added a small scene, which was missing in the original script. Sorry for the mistakes. I'm trying to improve my skills, but as English isn't my first language, I'm afraid, mistakes will happen again and again. Sorry for that.

Dreamhunt

It was quite late in the evening, when Jakesully approached Mo'at with his request.

She was surprised. Usually at this time the dreamwalker had retired already for his deadlike sleep. She asked herself often what he did during this time, when he was in his own body again. Was he talking to the other skypeople about his day ? She hadn't still not yet found something out about his true reasons for being here.

Sure, he was doing good so far. Surprisingly for the whole clan he managed to tame his own ikran and he did a great job during the stormbeest hunt. Many people did like him for his easygoing, warmhearted manner. He behavior was always modest and helpful.

Some people presented him even with a bracelet or a necklace.

A few women clearly showed closer interest in him and, to much of her sorrow, her own daughter too. That wasn't meant to be so. Her path had to be with Tsu'tey finally, not with an outsider who's motivation for being here wasn't really clear.

She sighed slighty: "So, what's your request, Jakesully?"

He looked at her in respectfully: "Tsahik, I'd like to speak to you alone."

"Very well,"she answered reservedly, "let's have a walk."

When they reached the outboundings of hometree, she asked him: " So, what do you want to ask me for?"

" The dreamhunt", he sayed solemnly.

Mo'at turned herself to the dreamwalker and looked at him, disbelieving and someway dismissive.

"The dreamhunt? Are you serious about that?"

"I want to become one of the people.", he said.

When she looked in his eyes, she could tell for sure, that this definitely wasn't all of his reasons. What was hidden behind these gentle eyes? Again she sensed a kind of sadness in him and ...rue?

"You learned a lot of our language. You took Iknimaya, you ride your own ikran now and you became a very good hunter. All that in just three months. That's extraordinary.", she watched his face mindful.

"If you were born as one of the People, then sure you would have earned the right to request dreamhunt.", she had to acknowledge hesitantly, "But you aren't. You are one of the sky people, just using this body."

The dreamwalker looked at her desparately: "But in my heart, I am with the People. Please allow it."

_"Why do you want this so urgently?"_ she thought by herself.

"That might be. But even for a born Na'vi this trial can be dangereous. Sometimes it happens that a young hunter dies when going through it. And you aren't born in this body."

"At least I want to try it. It's my own risk, after all.", he put one of his ragged small braids out of his face, clearly looking nervous now.

She snorted: "To try ? There's nothing to try about dreamhunt !".

She looked angryly into his eyes, "Now you listen to what I tell you!", she reprimanded him, "In the dreamhunt, you are travelling into the sphere of Eywa, where our ancestors live. Your mind might stay there, trapped for all times . Your Mind! This will not only kill your dreamwalker body. It will probably kill your other body, the body, in which you are born, too!"

"That doesn't matter.", he murmured.

Now Mo'at finally understood: "You want to die?"

"I don't really want to kill myself, but I want Eywas decision about me." He spoke lowly, looking down to the earth.

"Why ?" she asked him. To her surprise she saw tears in his eyes.

"Why?", she insisted.

"Please, don't ask me. It doesn't matter anyway."

She felt his intense desparation now. What did he disclose from her? But there was no sense in pressing him further. He wouldn't tell her anything more. There must be something serious going on inside him. He seems to carry a heavy burden - but anyway - as he was just a dreamwalker, not a Na'vi, she wouldn't allow his request.

_"It's my will. He has to do it. This is more than important for you all"_

Mo'at cringed, when she recieved the message. It wasn't a Tsahik's place to refuse Her will. And suddenly she knew that Jakesully would get his answer and that he would return.

"Maybe then Eywa really should judge about you. I accept your request."

She drawed herself up in front of him: "It is decided. The day after tomorrow, when the night is falling, then, Jakesully, you will go to your dreamhunt. You should start fasting now."

Two days later:

It hadn't been easy for her to convince Eytukan, but finally, after a long discussion, he gave in.

And so Mo'at was waiting now together with her mate, the elders and some of the hunters for Jakesully coming down into the sacred chamber, deep between the roots of hometree. The waterdrum was rapped by an elderly man who couldn't count anymore the dreamhunts he had been doing this.

When he arrived she was surprised, how solemn and calm he was.

Neytiri as his teacher had painted him carefully. It must had been quite awkward for him to stand nude in front of her with her hands touching him. Mo'at didn't feel well about that. That bond which growed steadily stronger between both of them must have been shurely even more fortified by this. But they didn't had really a choice. It was Neytiris task to prepare Jakesully, not only as his teacher, but as well as the coming Tsahik.

Now the dreamwalker stood there in the center of the chamber, facing quiescently the elders. She couldn't notice any signs of fear in him. His desparation, which she had sensed two days before, was gone. Not always aspirants were so steady. Often she saw young hunters being nervous or even frightened when facing what has to happen to them now.

Mo'at took the bowl with the burning incenses and the frond of warbonnet fern and went to him.

With a move of her hand she implied him to go down. Obligingly he squatted before her and Mo'at started to clean him with the holy smoke and chanted to him lowly the ancient song of the dreamhunt.

He washed the smoke over himself with his palms in flowing motions. In this moment, he wasn't looking anymore like a dreamwalker. He was ready.

He raised himself, standing again with half closed eyes. Mo'at brought the smoking bowl to it's place and looked to her mate. She could tell that he still was feeling uncomfortable about what they were going to do, but now it was to late for him to stand back. She knew that he respected the dreamwalker's effort, but to him he would be always be a sky person. He didn't share her sympathetic feelings about Jakesully, but as it was the Tsahiks request to him, he was ready to accomplish the rite. He told her before, that he was shure the dreamwalker would die during the dreamhunt and he didn't really care about it.

She took the decayed piece of wood and pulled a glowing worm out of one of the small holes, reciting the old prayer:

"Oh wise worm, eater of the sacred tree - bless this worthy hunter with a true vision."

Mo'at watched Jakesully's face when she went to him. Though he was already at the beginning of a trance, he looked determined and trustfully at her and opened his mouth readily.

She hesitated - just for a second- and placed the glow worm on his tongue.

_"May Eywa be mercyful in her judgement as you must be carrying a heavy burden that you take the risk of death upon you."_ she thought, when he chewed and swallowed the worm.

Eytukan stood behind Jakesully and pressed the arachnoid on his neck. He grimaced with pain, when it drove it's stinger into his skin.

Mo'at went with her mate back to the elders. She took a short look at her daughter who chanted together with the other hunters. Neytiri watched Jakesully intently, but she didn't seem to be afraid for him.

Then it begun.

The start was quite normal. His eyes went nearly black when his pupils dilated and he collapsed down on his knees, puking on the ground, though it wasn't very much coming out. There was a reason for the fasting.

He broke down completely, cried out when the venom contracts his muscles and was squirming and moaning for a while.

But when he started to scream painfully, foaming and trashing, Mo'at frowned. This wasn't normal. Dreamhunt was a hard trial for body and mind, but not _that_ hard.

Was she right with her guess she demured two days before and he was going to die?

Neytiri watched him clearly anxiously now. Mo'at didn't exactly know why, but suddenly she felt pity for both of them. She and Eytukan did choose a mate for her daughter, but they couldn't take influence on her feelings. Mo'at was afraid that now, instead to be healed, Neytiri's heart would be even more broken.

But then Jakesully calmed down again. He was still lowly moaning, but survived the worsest part, lying on his back, gasping at first, then breathing more and more steadily. He weakly rolled up on one elbow, looking around.

"It is finished." Mo'at announced, surprised by the relieved undertone in her voice.

Neytiris own relief was simply blatant. Mo'at sighed by herself. If there was love between them, than it was too late to intervene anyway now. But she was concerned about the complications this love would induce.

Luckily her mate didn't seem to notice anything of this. He went to Jakesully and asked him the question he always asked after a dreamhunt: "Did your spirit animal come?"

Jakesully's reaction was strange. He opened his mouth, clearly wanted to say something, but then stayed silent.

_"What Eywa did show you, Jakesully ? What does frighten you so much, that you can't tell it?"_

Mo'at went to him, touched his forehead and watched his face closely. No, he wasn't afraid, but his soul was deeply troubled and there was something else in his eyes, but she couldn't figure it out.

"Something has come.", she lowly said to Jakesully in the language of the sky people._ "What was it?"_, she asked herself.

Then she raised again and adressed the elders: " It will take time for the meaning to be clear."

Mo'at decided to speak to Jakesully the next day, letting him some time to rest.

She was sure that the message he received in his vision must be an important one.

But for now, he had mastered his trial. There was no reason anymore to deny his wish to be part of the People.

To much of Mo'at's surprise, Eytukan helped Jakesully to get up.

One of the hunters gave him a loincloth and he put it on.

Together they left the sacred chamber, went upstairs into the den, where the rest of the People was waiting.

Eytukan laid his hands on the dreamwalker's shoulders and announced that Jakesully now was a part of the People.

When it was Mo'ats turn to touch him, she wasn't able to avoid a proud smile, for a moment overwhelmed by inexplicable motherly feelings for this dreamwalker.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar or Pandora and I don't make any profit by writing this.**

Author's notice: For this chapter, I did choose the death scene from Cameron's original script as it was more detailed than the scene in the SE version (though is was good to. in a sad way, of course)

Spexastar: Thanks for your music suggestions, this time I will make one: I searched a rather long time, but the only one I found which fits passably to this tragedy is "Who wants to live forever" by Queen,

Tsu'tey's death

There was no hope for Tsu'tey anymore, there was only one way left for him and that would be the task of the leader - who was the Toruk Makto in this moment. Mo'at was asking herself how Jakesully would handle this situation. She knew that both men were slowly becoming friends during the preparations for the war. Tsu'tey even cut Jake's hair to a warrior mohawk while the dreamwalker was in his other body, talking to their human allies.

Sighing, she instilled Tsu'tey some more of the potion, watching him sadly.

His broken bones wouldn't have been a problem for her to heal them. The wounds made by the weapons of the sky people maybe could be healed as well. But there was no hope, absolutely no hope for a Na'vi whose queue was hurt. And now the Olo'eyctan's queue was cut by a ruthless human warrior. How could someone be that cruel ? Mo'at gave Tsu'tey the strongest drugs she had. It was enough to keep him from screaming, but not enough to kill his pain.

Then the Toruk Makto arrived with her daughter and without any further words he knelt in front of Tsu'tey.

Tsu'tey looked at the dreamwalker and greeted him:" I see you, Jakesully" and Jakesully answered his salute calmly: " I see you, Tsu'tey te Rongloa Ateyitan."

While Tsu'tey watched his friend's face intendedly he asked Jakesully: " Are the People save?"

And the Toruk Makto nodded and answered: " They are safe."

Mo'at nearly broke out in tears when Tsu'tey weekly clutched the stomp his queue and said: " I can never ride again, or bond with my woman - or hear the voice of Eywa. I cannot lead the People. You will lead them, Jakesully."

Jakesully hovered above Tsu'tey, his desparate eyes begging to Mo'at: "_No,no, there must be a possibility to heal this!" _But there was no chance and Jakesully did seemingly realize it with pain in his face.

But nonetheless he neglected the burden Tsu'tey was putting on his shoulders.

"No. I'm not officer material."

Obviously Jakesully was afraid of this responsibility now, but Tsu'tey didn't let him a chance.

"It is decided. Now do the duty of Olo'eyctan. Set my spirit free."

Jakesully's eyes grew big, horrified, shocked. Mo'at nearly could read his thoughts: _" No, no please. not this!"_

" I'm not killing you!", he said painfully.

Tsu'tey answered calmly: " I'm already dead."

"No!" he said. Jakesully's eyes were glistening with tears now, pleading: _"Please no! No, don't let me do __this!"_

And Tsu'tey said with an comforting undertone: " It is the way. And it is good. I will be remembered."

He paused for a moment, then he continued with a weak voice, but thick with emotion: " I fought with Toruk Makto, we were Brothers - and he was my last shadow."

Tsu'tey grasped Jakesully's hand fiercely and the Toruk Makto drew reluctantly his knife, leaning forward so that his shadow fell over his brother in arms. They communicated silently with their eyes and for a short moment Mo'at saw their unspoken secret reflected in their glances.

Neytiri was too devastated by the whole situation to see it, but Mo'at did notice _this love_ and in quiet desparation she thought: _"My poor children, oh Eywa, my poor children!"_

Jakesully spoke, his eyes burning with pain, still connected to Tsu'tey's : "Forgive me, my brother. Go now to the Mother Spirit." Tsu'tey gave him a last loving glance, then closed his eyes, ready for death.

Mo'at knew that Jakesully's move was very quick in reality, but to her it seemed like lasting an eternity. He hit his heart properly. Tsu'tey's pain was finished, he hardly winced when the knife met his heart.

Jakesully didn't sob, continued to speak the prayer for the death, but his eyes now welled over with tears, drawing darker lines in his warpaint, wetting his brother's, his beloved one's, dead body.

When he finished the prayer, Jakesully threw back his head, his eyes closed in pain.

Now Neytiri noticed her mate's condition and tried to approach him for comfort, but Mo'at held her back. There was no comfort for Jakesully now and any attempts would have made his pain worser.

"Later", she whispered to her daughter," you may take him in your arms. But for now let him mourne his brother's death." Neytiri would never learn what Mo'at saw during that short moment when Tsu'tey's eyes met with Jakesully's.

She hoped, Neytiri's love could heal this wound in Jakesully's heart. It wasn't necessary that her daughter found out the true reason for her mate's pain.

Later in the day, when Neytiri was looking out for the hunters who were in charge for searching survivors, Mo'at went to Jakesully. He was sitting on the ground, his back leaned against a trunk, eyes closed.

"How are you feeling, Jakesully ?", she asked tentatively. He shrugged, swallowing his pain down. She spoke to him: "You shouldn't hesitate to mourn properly. Swallowing down the pain will make your heart sick."

"Did you know that I had a twin brother? He was murdered before I came here. And now I lost a brother again. And this time, I murdered him myself." Jakesully's voice was shaking.

"No, you didn't murder him. That's not true. You gave him a quick and painless dead instead of a long terrible agony. This was not your fault, it was the fault of the humans. They did kill him, not you!"

Jakesully shook his head:"Ten years ago our parents died - murdered as well. They died in an burning airplane because someone placed a bomb in it to get the money of his wife's life insurance."Now his whole body trembled "And Neytiri was nearly killed by this lunatic murderer Quaritch...Everyone I love is in danger..."

Without any word he laid his head on her shoulders and let out his pain. Mo'at did what she maybe should have done already three months ago : she embraced him, cradled him in her arms and suddenly she realized why she had approached him for comforting instead letting do it his mate - in this moment he needed _her_ to help him through this. She was unsure what to say to him. Sometimes pain was to big for any words which she had been teached by her mother for the mourning Na'vi whose she, as Tsahik, had to comfort in that case - especially in this case.

But she knew, Jakesully was strong - he would recover, he had to recover. The Omaticaya needed an Olo'eyctan who would lead them into the future - now more than ever before as they were homeless until they found a new kelutral to settle in.

"I can't be Olo'eyctan. Not so long as I am what I am." he stated suddenly."Please help me to pass through the eye of Eywa. It is the only way I can be Olo'eyctan for the Omaticaya and a true mate for Neytiri."

And Mo'at realized instantly that he was right. "Eywa provides," she said "and I'm sure you will be reborn in your new, your _real_ body."


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar or Pandora and I don't make any profit by writing this.**

Author's note: Again I'm keeping the story closer to Cameron's manuscript than to the movie, as well I added some scenes. To the one's who are wondering, what the problem was with Jake's bad condition: In the screenplay it was mentioned, that finally he hardly couldn't eat human food, exept some "freeze-dried crystals". It was the reason of the dramatic loss of weight (of his human body) you could see in the movie and why Grace was thinking of force feeding him. Seemingly his brain adapted more and more to Na'vi food, but of course he couldn't eat it in his human form.

Thank you very much, my kind rewievers, you were all so nice in your comments, in spite of my sometimes quite strange expressions...:-))

This is the last chapter of "Two Minutes" but soon I'll start a new story, "Kinships". I hope you'll enjoy it like you enjoyed this story.

And, hey, in seven weeks or so I'll get the ultimate edition !

The Mind Transfer

The sky people were gone - exept for the Na'vi's human allies who faught with them in the war.

Two of them - Normspellman, who lost his woman as well his dreamwalker body in the last battle and Maxpatel who lead the dreamwalkers when they conquered Hellsgate - were standing before Mo'at, begging her for the allowance to witness their friend's last trial.

Mo'at sighed, she felt sorry, especially for Normspellman, but she couldn't give them the permission to watch Jakesully's last step to become a true Na'vi - even if this might be truly his last step. But nonetheless she could understand that they were in great sorrow for their friend.

"Listen, I can't allow you to witness this ceremony. It is a great ordeal for everyone, not only for Jakesully, Neytiri and myself, but for everyone who makes Tsaheylu with the tree of souls to help our Olo'eyctan passing in his Na'vi body. The slightest distraction could cause his death - think of what happened to Graceaugustine... Jakesully's human body isn't hurt, but it is weakened and exhausted though. I learned he wasn't able to eat human food finally but neither he can eat Na'vi food. "

"He is much better now, after getting the infusions - that means he gets nourishment directly into his bloodstream. He won't gain some weight by this, but he will be in much better condition than he was a few days before.", Maxpatel said," Anyway, of course we respect your demand for us staying away. We will bring Jake Sully with us tonight, and until this I will make sure that he sleeps."

Mo'at was relieved to hear about this. Her biggest sorrow was that Jakesully was too weakened to pass through the eye of Eywa, but on the other hand, there was still his tensed emotional state she was caring about.

"You cannot watch the ceremony, but you are allowed to stay nearby. When it's finished, I send someone to fetch you and you may see Jakesully when he's reborn in his Na'vi body." She touched her forehead: "But for now, exuse me. I have to oversee the preparations. When you return with Jakesully, you may wait at that metalbox, he called it Site 26, I think."

With these words she returned to the tree of souls. On her way she watched two young people digging a hole between the roots of the mighty tree. Ni`awtu and Tsyal were the young hunters who accompagnied Jakesully at his Iknimaya - now they were digging a grave for his human body. Ni`awtu had collected a basket full of flowers. When they were finished with digging, they would decorate the bottom of the cavity with them, making a bed for their friends dead body.

A few feet away was Tsu'tey's grave, easy to recognize by one of his arrows. Jakesully tucked it into the earth after his friend's funeral. Mo'at remembered whistfully what she saw in Tsu'tey's and Jakesully's eyes shortly before the dreamwalker followed the demand of his friend to put him out of his misery. If it wasn't for Neytiri, maybe even both of them could have been mates, she thought and wondered what humans would think about such a relationship. Among the Na'vi it was quite common, alone the Omatikaya had three such couples - no, she corrected herself, it were only two ones left now. The male couple had been killed during the war, dying side by side as they tried to enter the big flying machine which contained the fire-thing which was supposed to destroy the Tree of Souls.

And there were so many other graves...They lost at least a third of their clan during the fall of hometree and the war.

Sighing, Mo'at went to the small grove, were Neytiri prepared the dreamwalker body of her mate.

She was hovering above Jakesully, washing him so gently as she would be afraid to awake him. His loincloth, warrior harness and adornments were carefully piled by her side. she left alone the beads in his long braids.

She decided not to disturb her daughter and went to the place she'd chosen for her meditations. It was time to prepare herself.

A few hours later

When Mo'at heard the flying machine arrive, she called two warriors and went with them to her daughter. "It is time now, Neytiri, they are bringing Jakesully. Go to that metalbox where you saved his life. They are waiting there for you."

And to the two warriors: "Bring his dreamwalker body!" Solemnly the two men lifted the seemingly sleeping body. Neytiri was openly afraid now.

Mo'at spoke lowly: "Neytiri, my daughter, don't be afraid. He has proved that he's got Eywas's blessing. All will go well."

Neytiri nodded and walked obediently to Site 26 to pick up her mate in his human form there.

When Mo'at went with the warriors which were carrying Jakesully's dreamwalker body to the base of the Tree of Souls, she apruptly thought: _"Oh Eywa, please, don't let him die !"_

_" I will provide as I always did. But this is a matter of Jakesully's will to live too. I understand Neytiri's sorrow. But why do YOU care about him so much?", _Eywa asked her.

_"Oh great mother, we need our Olo'eyctan."_

_"And that is all?" _the voice in her head asked her. Suddenly she saw Jakesully's big innocent bright eyes inside her. When saw she such eyes for the last time? Her steady pace was faltering, when she realized...

_"Bakteyo"_

She saw herself again in the most painful moment of her life, when she was holding her little one in her arms.

Eytukan was on a hunting trip that day and she was alone with their three children - newborn Neytiri, two years old Sylwanin and their six years old son Bakteyo. Eytukan had been so proud of the future Olo'eyctan. He was such a bright, such a spirited and lighthearted boy, always laughing and - in spite of his young age - so devoted and caring.

When she was nursing Neytiri, Bakteyo jumped giggling around her, trying to touch his little sister. Loosing her patience, she told her son to go play with his friends.

Half an hour later she heard horrified cries. A little boy run toward her, crying, telling her urgently to come. She followed him and then she saw Bakteyo's body lay motionless on the ground, his golden eyes wide open.

"We were climbing in the branches of hometree," said the boy who called her, sobbing, "He wanted to

climb higher, he said nobody would climb higher than the future Olo'eyctan...And than he fell..."

"Bakteyo..", she whispered, "Bakteyo, my little one, wake up!"

He didn't answer.

She took the small, limb body in her arms, craddled him desperatly. These big innocent eyes were empty now, didn't look at her, wouldn't never look at her anymore.

Bakteyo was dead, really dead...

Her son had went to Eywa.

She screamed until she lost consciousness, pressing the small dead body against her.

Returning to the present, Mo'at realized, how much Jakesully remembered her of her deceased son. He had the same light in his eyes, the same spirit.

_"I've lost Bakteyo. I've lost Sylwanin. I won't lose a third child!"_ she tought resolutely.

_"Good! Tell him this. It will give him additional strength. He has Neytiri now, but he had painful losses in his life too."_

When they arrived on the dais at the base of the Tree of Souls, she instructed the warriors to lay Jakesully's dreamwalker body down. She knelt before him and arranged carefully his limbs and his queue. She was hardly finished with it, when she saw already the bright root-cilia reach out for his body.

Meanwhile every halfway unhurted adult of the Omatikaya, and all the surviving warriors of the other clans which joined them in the war, had assembled around the mighty mother tree, were kneeling down and preparing themselves to bond with Eywa. In spite of the great mass of people, hardly a whisper was to be heard.

Then she saw her daughter striding through the gathering, carrying Jakesully in her arms.

It wasn't the first human she ever saw, but Mo'at was slightly shocked when she saw these thin legs, breakable like a twig. Neytiri told her it was because his back once was broken by a bullet of a gun and so his legs were dead, but she didn't imagine them as hardly more than skin and bones. Such terrible wounds were unknown to the People.

Gently laid Neytiri her mate down on the dais, head to head to his dreamwalker body, slowly turning his legs to one side, as Mo'at has done with his other body.

Mo'at knelt down to Jakesully, caressing the part of his head which wasn't covered by the breathing mask the humans needed. He'd got blue eyes, like the skin of a Na'vi, she noticed surprised. But, in his dreamwalker body his eyes were so bright. In his human body they were just looking tired.

She spoke softly to him : "Sleep now, my son, be strong, and then return to be reborn. I won't loose another child, you just have to be strong. Eywa promised me."

"Another child ?", Jakesully murmured, already sleepy and Neytiri gave her mother an puzzled glance. Neither Mo'at nor Eytukan had told her about her brother. The pain had been to unbearable to speak of.

"Yes, my son. I'll tell you everything when you wake up. Always remember: You have the People, you have a mate - and a mother." She caressed his hair for a last time and then she stood up, taking the pose of a Tsahik. Her daughter was hovering beside Jakesully, grasping his hand and held it tightly.

Mo'at saw the root-cilia entering his body, he gave her daughter a last tender glance and then Jakesully closed his eyes.

"Oh great mother, we pray to you...", Mo'at invoked...

After a time, his heartbeat slowed down, his breath was hardly noticeable.

She felt him fading away: "Oh no, my son, no!", but she couldn't help him. This was the matter of the spiritual realm, in which Mo'at was just a connection to the material world. Then she saw a few blue shadows, taking hold on the disconnecting soul of Jakesully. She recognized easily Tsu'tey... and then Graceaugustine... Behind there was a third, bigger shadow : Eytukan.. Even him..! And then a smaller, human shadow... This must be Trudee, the female warrior who flew that flying machine...They pushed him again toward his dreamwalker body, whispering things, Mo'at couldn't understand.

It was over. Jakesully's human body was empty, so empty like the body of Bakteyo once was.

Slowly Mo'at came to herself again and commanded the crowd to be silent. Shortly she watched her daughter taking off that breathing mask which Jakesully now no longer needed and kissing him softly on both cheeks - her last goodbye to his human body.

And then Mo'at turned to his dreamwalker body. Even before she let her hands swivering above him, she could feel his strong heartbeat in her mind - the heartbeat of an Olo'eyctan. She saw him breathing stronger and stronger, saw that little pulse in this big vein on his throat, saw the glowing, radiant spots on his skin - all was well, the root-cilia were still bright and lots of Atokirina were flowing above him.

Neytiri walked over to his new body. She touched his cheek softly with her fingertips.

And suddenly his eyes snapped open.

Neytiri stroked his face with her fingertips and smiled, overwhelmed by happiness: " I see you, my Jake!"

He smiled, but his answere was merely a whisper: "I see you, my love!"

Mo'at expected him to be weak after this ordeal. Everything was prepared.

She smiled broadly, announcing the good news to the People triumphantly: "Jakesully, Toruk Makto, the Olo'eyctan of the Omatikaya is well and alive! But he needs time to recover now."

A shout of joy from hundreds of Na'vi echoed through the Well of Souls. After silence had returned again, Mo'at knelt down and asked him: "How are you, son?"

Jakesully whispered: "Feeling weak like a newborn kitten." She asked herself shortly, what a kitten was - maybe something like a viperwolf puppy? She had to smile with that thought coming into her mind.

Mo'at answered calmly:"Don't care! We will bring you to your bedding and then you may take all the time you need to recover. "

She gestured to the two warriors to carry Jakesully back to the grove and adressed her daughter: "He will fall asleep soon, but make sure that he eats something before he does so. There is a pot with hexapede broth near his bedding. Neytiri smiled happily and followed her mate to their sleeping place.

Then Mo'at called a young huntress: "Go to the metalbox and tell our Olo'eyctan's friends that everything has going well. Then bring them to the grave which his hunting compagnions had prepared for his human body. I will meet you there."

The Tsahik herself took the empty shell which once contained Jakesully in her arms, surprised, how lightweighted the dead body was. She went to the place it was determined for.

Lots of people followed her, including the Olo'eyctans of the Horse clan and the Ikran clan of the eastern sea.

When they arrived, Normspellman and Maxpatel were already waiting, looking deeply shocked when they saw Jakesully's dead human body in her arms. Mo'at gave both of them a small encouraging smile before her face turned stern again. Then she laid the small white body into it's grave arranging it's limbs until it looks like an unborn child in it's mother's womb.

The Tsahik raised her hands and spoke the prayer for the death ones, then she catched one of the Atokirina flowing around and laid it softly down on the dead body's cheek, then stepped back. Behind here was Normspellman standing, holding a flower in his hand. She nodded at him and and he went to the grave, laying the flower down on Jakesully's dead human form and murmured "Farewell, my friend!" When he was turning, she saw that his face was wet behing the breathing mask. Mo'at whispered:" Don't be sad as this is not a farewell. It is the start of a new life, a birth."

He answered:" I know, but he is Na'vi now. I will never see again his human face." Mo'at nodded with understanding.

After all the people had put their flowers in the grave, Mo'at adressed Normspellman and Maxpatel: "Come now. Jakesully's probably sleeping already, but you may have a short look on him."

"How is he?" Maxpatel asked.

"He is exhausted, as I expected. But else he is doing very well. He's still not able to speak loudly, just whispering, but I'm sure tomorrow he will be talking a mile a minute again, as you'd say. His mouth will be the very last part of him to become sick, I guess." she said smiling.

Finally they reached the grove, which was Jakesully's and Neytiris home at the moment.

As Mo'at guessed, Jakesully was sleeping, but Neytiri, sitting beside him, smiled and said lowly: "Look, he's dreaming!", gesturing at his slightly twitching fingers and his eyes moving under the lids.

"Did he eat, my daughter?", Mo'at asked.

"Yes, Mother. He ate the broth completely." Neytiri said, showing the empty pot.

"Good! Tomorrow he may try to eat some solid food. He likes Teylu?" the Tsahik inquired.

"That's his favorite food." Neyiri smiled.

Mo'at laughed silently:" I tought so, regarding the amount of them he eats every day. I'll bring some tomorrow. But for now you should rest too. Sleep well, my daughter."

With these words Mo'at turned again to the humans. "You see, he is doing well. Let's leave now. Both of them need their sleep."

Both men nodded and went with her. After they reached the place, where most of the Na'vi were milling around, she asked: "Will you leave this night?"

"No!", Maxpatel answered, "It's too dangerous to fly at night. We repaired the window in Site 26 and we'll sleep there. Tomorrow in the morning we will return to Hell's Gate."

Mo'at nodded:" Before you leave, you may visit Jakesully again. I'm sure, He will be happy to see his friends."

"We will do so!", Normspellman answered.

Mo'at watched them returning to their metalbox.

A new life had begun. Not only for Jakesully, for Neytiri, for herself, but for the whole Omatikaya clan, and maybe even for every Na'vi.

End.


End file.
